Catalyst and method of making same



. long life and of excellent activity. A.

and dehydrogenization can be carried UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CARL BOSCH, OTTO SCHMIDT,

RHINE, GERMANY, ASSIGNORS,

TO THE CHEMICAL CATALYST AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME.

'80 Drawing. Application filed T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, SCHMIDT, and ALWIN Mrr'rason, citizens of the German Empire, residing 'at Ludwigshafen-on-the-Rhine, Germany, have invent- \1 new and useful Improvements in Catalysts and Methods of Making the following isv a specification.

Our invention relates to catalytic mixtures by means of which hydrogenization rapidly, with certaiw and at comparatively low temperatures. e have discovered that these advantages can be obtained by employing as the catalytic agent an intimate mixture of (1) one or more of the following metals :-iron, nickel, cobalt and copper- (which are for the purpose of this invention equivalents and which we hereinafter refer to as the catalytic metal), with an artificially prepared oxygen-containing coinpound of silicon. These artificially prepared oxygen-containing compounds of silicon which promote the activity of the catalytic metal we refer to hereinafter as promoters.

In order to obtain the advantages of this invention it is necessary to effect an intimate mixture of the catalytic metal and the promoter. By the employment of the aforesaid chemically prepared silicon compounds we can produce a catalytic agent with a yepy n in 1- ma'te mixture of nickel carbonate and alkali silicate and preferably a carrier can be heat- I or colloidal silica,

zeolite may be employed. If insoluble sili-xed and reduced with hydrogen, or silica can be precipitated in a very finely divided form by the combustion of a mixture of nickel carbonate with an organic silicon compound, such as silicon ethyl ester, whereupon the mixture obtained is submitted to reduction, or a natural or artificial cates are to be employed 'as promoters, these should preferably be broughtinto intimate mixture with the compound which is subsequently to give rise to the metallic agent, by

precipitation from suitable soluble salts-or other compounds.

It is particularly advantageous for the purpose of preparing a very active contact mass to prepare the catalytic metal from carbonaceous salts or mixture of salts thereof, for instance, from carbonates or formates. It'is further oftenuseful to add to the mixture,

Specification of Letters Patent.

CARL Boson, O'r'ro Same, of which v out from

bodies of. inorganic or 01- ganic nature, which act either as carriers, or

as bindin agents or which increase the porsenic and lead, which'may in the elementary form act as contact poisons, although the new contact mixtures according to the present invention are not so sensitive to the action of poisonsas are the pure metals.

The catalytic .metal is preferably em Patented se t. '27, 1921.

June 4, 1914. Serial No. 842,958.

OF LII!DVTIGSHAIIlilIN-ON-THE- ployed in a state of fine division, but sometimes a more compact form, such as wire netting, or wool, or sheet form can be used.

The roportion of the ployed 1n the catalytic mixture may be considerably varied, even an addition of one per cent, or less of the said promoters often producing favorable action.

In those cases in which reduction has to be resorted to in order to obtain the catalytic metal, such reduction 7 is preferably carried components em out by means of pure hydrogen or other suitableagent at as low a temperature as possible, and 1f the catalytic mixture after having been reduced with hydrogen, has to be exposed to the air, it is generally advisable pre- I v viously to drive 'away'any excess of hydrogen by passing an, indi erent gas such as carbon dioxid over the mixture and thus to avoid even superficial oxidation of the metal. The catalytic mixtures, according to this invention, can be used for the hydrogenization and dehydrogenization of. compounds containing carbon and are of particular value for converting phenol into cyclohexanol, for reducing the hardening of fats and fatty acid and for the conversion of oxids of carbon into hydrocarbons. The catalytic reaction according to this invention can be carried out either at ordinary pressure or under increased pressure, for instance, above 50 atmospheres, and in 111 cases when employing nickel, proceeds sufliciently rapidly at temperatures considerably below 180 C. y

The following examples will serve to illustrate further the nature of this invention, which, however, is not confined to these examples. The parts are by weight.

nitrobenzene to anilin', for.

- perature of from -200-280 from 300-350 pumice 10' parts of: water, 50 parts of a 42% solution of waterglass, and 47 parts of nickel carbonate. Dry the lumps, and reduce with hydrogen at from 300350 G. A very active catalytic agent is produced which retains its activity for a long time and is suitable for the continuous conversion of phenol into cyclohexano-l by means of hydrogen at a temperature of 100-120 C. Example 2.

Mix together toa paste with water 400 parts of coarse pumice, parts of a 42% waterglass solution and 36 parts of copper carbonate. Then dry the mass and reduce it with hydrogen. On passing a mixture of methyl cyclohexanol and nitrogen at a tem- C. over the catalytic agent dehydrogenization takes place and an excellent yield of methyl cycloiexanone isobtained.

Example 3.

Pass a mixture of nitrobenzene vapor and an excess of hydrogen at about 200 C. over a catalytic mixture containing .20 parts of silica precipitated on to finely divided copper, whereupon reduction takes place with the formation of anilin.

Example 4.

Mix to; a paste with a little water 11 parts of lass wool which is rich in alkali silicate and 40 parts of nickel carbonate. Then dry the mixture and treat it with hydrogen at C. In this way a very active catalytic agent is obtained which is suitable for the continuous conversion of henol into cyclohexanol at from 100'120 Example 5.

. Take a hot concentrated solution of 13 parts of nickel nitrate and 3 parts of alur minium nitrate and add, while stirring, ahot concentrated solution containing 5 parts of 1 sodium silicate, and 10 parts of sodium car-' bonate. Then filter, wash'well, reduce and v immerse the contact mass in linseed oil, and

' .Stir from 1 to 2 recipitated silica (for instance, silicic anthen allow hydrogen to reacton the mixture in motion at from 100-120.

If desired, the contact mass before being dried and reduced can be formed into suitable shapes thesilicate serving the double purpose of promoter and binding agent, and

the oil be allowed to trickle over" the" formed catalytic mass while passing hydrogen through the apparatus. I p p Eaiample 61 p t parts of finely divided ydrid) into a hot solution of 10 parts of creased by the addition which comprises 2. A catalyst composed of finely dividednickel intimately associated with dry, precipitated non-colloidal silica supported on an inactive carrier.

associated with dry, pre- 3. A method of preparing -a catalyst which comprises drying an intimate watercontaining mixture of an organic nickel compound and a soluble compound of silicon, then reducing the dried mixture by hydrogen to thereby produce a catalyst composed of finely divided nickel intimately associated with dry precipitated nob-colloidal.

silica. I

= 4. A method of preparing a catalyst which comprises drying an intimate watercontaining mixture f nickel carbonate and a soluble compound of silicon, then reducing the dried mixture by hydrogen to thereby produce a catalyst composed of finely divided nickel intimately associated with dry, I

precipitated non-colloidal silica.

5. A method drying an intimate watercontaining mixture of nickel carbonate and compound and water-glass, then reducing the dried mixture. by hydro en to thereby produce a catalyst compose vided nickel intimately associated with dry, precipitated non-colloidal silica.

6. A method of preparing a catalyst which comprises drying an intimate waterof preparing a catalyst of finely di-.

containing mixture of nickel carbonate and water-glass, thenreducing the dried mixture by hydrogen to thereby produce a catayst composed of finely divided nickel intimately associated with non-colloidalsilica. v

In testimony whereof'we' have hereunto set our hands in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. I

' CARL BOSCH...

' .DR. OTTO SCHMIDT. ALWIN MITTASCH.

dry, precipitated Witnesses:

CH. SCHNEIDER, J. Auto. LLOYD. 

